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A review by missbreathing
Hell House by Richard Matheson
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This ended up being a 4/5⭐️ read for me. Some thoughts:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“Hell House” is dark, creepy, and atmospheric. It sucks the reader into the story with ease. Full of classic horror imagery and with a cinematic style of prose, reading it feels like watching a horror movie.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The plot is fairly straightforward. The amount of paranormal occurrences make the story engaging, but they also bog down the plot and make the story move slowly. The ending was fitting, but not exactly groundbreaking. Still, this is was probably the scariest and most disturbing horror book I’ve ever read. I’d recommend it for anyone looking to be truly spooked.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
While I can’t fault a horror novel for being too horrific, I do have to say this is the most twisted thing I’ve ever read. Although there are more typical images and scenes (angry spirits throwing furniture around, for instance), one gets the sense that nothing is off-limits here. The backstory of Hell House and its owner are truly dark. The entire story is suffused with a mockery of Christianity I found effectively unnerving. This is not a book for newbie horror readers. It’s truly chilling.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“Hell House” is dark, creepy, and atmospheric. It sucks the reader into the story with ease. Full of classic horror imagery and with a cinematic style of prose, reading it feels like watching a horror movie.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The plot is fairly straightforward. The amount of paranormal occurrences make the story engaging, but they also bog down the plot and make the story move slowly. The ending was fitting, but not exactly groundbreaking. Still, this is was probably the scariest and most disturbing horror book I’ve ever read. I’d recommend it for anyone looking to be truly spooked.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
While I can’t fault a horror novel for being too horrific, I do have to say this is the most twisted thing I’ve ever read. Although there are more typical images and scenes (angry spirits throwing furniture around, for instance), one gets the sense that nothing is off-limits here. The backstory of Hell House and its owner are truly dark. The entire story is suffused with a mockery of Christianity I found effectively unnerving. This is not a book for newbie horror readers. It’s truly chilling.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Animal death, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual violence, Gore, and Vomit